The operator replied: "Well, what can the police help you with on 999 today?"

The caller then said: "Well, get me a cab home."

The call handler told the man it was not a police issue, adding: "You're wasting police time by calling 999 to ask for a taxi."

Sarah Durston, head of the Surrey Police contact centre, said such calls posed a danger to its ability to react to genuine emergencies.

She said: "Although most people use the emergency number correctly, this call is a perfect example of when it has not been used correctly.

"This caller, who did not have an emergency, may have prevented someone else who was in danger from getting through to us. This presents a real risk to our ability to respond to genuine emergency calls.

"The 999 number must only be used for situations where a crime is actually in progress or someone is in danger."